


The villain will get his own Happy Ending

by NorikoNya



Category: Twisted-Wonderland (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, CHARACTER DEATH IN THE BEGINNING, I have read so many reincarnation/isekai stories and thought I should write this, M/M, Please don't expect too much, Romance, oh boy, this is going to be so cliche, watch me cram in as many ships with Vil as possible in that fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 11:34:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29384211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NorikoNya/pseuds/NorikoNya
Summary: To be reborn into the world of the series he had a role in was something he did not expect.He didn't know if he should laugh or cry when he realized that he had been reborn as the villain.
Relationships: Leona Kingscholar/Vil Schoenheit, Neige LeBlanche/Vil Schoenheit, Rook Hunt/Neige LeBlanche, Rook Hunt/Neige LeBlanche/Vil Schoenheit, Rook Hunt/Vil Schoenheit
Comments: 30
Kudos: 122





	1. Prologue

A blond man sat up from his bed, his night robe was drenched with sweat and he was breathing heavily, his eyes were wide open. 

The blond looked at his hand, he was slightly shaking because of what he dreamt, his head was pounding. His face was pale as he tried to organize the things he had just seen. 

That… that wasn’t his first life. 

He already lived a life as Vil Schoenheit before, just not in this world. 

Some things were still hazy, but he could still remember a few things. 

Vil had been a student of Night Raven College and an accomplished actor. A magician who was well known for his beauty and his skills, someone who led a rigorous lifestyle to be better than anyone else, to prove that he was someone powerful. 

Someone who deserved to be on stage until the very end. 

And he died at the age of 18.

It happened during the holidays. His day has been nothing spectacular as he walked along the sidewalks, his eyes were on the script he got from a director he would be working for. 

Once again, he received the role of a villain. A character who would be sacrificed for the happiness of the hero and his love interest. Interestingly, Rook had been invited to play the role of the male lead for the hero, for the director seemed to have been interested in the fellow blonde since the VDC.    
He didn’t mind it exactly, wasn’t even that surprised by it. 

Rook was attractive in his own way, and he was also aware of how their performance would attract a few interested parties who were in need of fresh faces. 

What annoyed him was that Neige got the role of the hero once again. Vil grit his teeth but didn’t show his anger openly, for he was in public and wouldn’t risk getting a blemish on his rather good reputation, despite the roles he got. His head snapped to the side when he heard screams all of a sudden, a shocked look was on his face as he saw a kid who just waltzed over the street because of one stupid reason or the other while a truck was quickly approaching. 

  
Before he could waste a second thought on what to do, his feet just carried him to where the boy was as he pushed him out of the truck’s way. What he felt next was the impact of the transporter as it hit him. The crash only hurt for a second before he started to feel nothing, his body was numb as he blinked slowly. He could dimly hear shocked screams and gasps from bystanders, but his brain was already occupied by other thoughts. 

He could have just used his magic instead of jumping right in, couldn’t he? Still, he didn’t regret what he did, for no one else seemed to have reacted to what happened in front of their eyes. 

Maybe he will be seen as an idiot who didn’t use his magic to help. Perhaps he would be seen as a hero who used his own life to save a child. Wouldn’t it be ironic if he got what he wanted only after his death? A smile was on his lips as he felt the warmths seep out of his body, noticing the slight twitching of his fingertips. Vil closed his eyes as he vaguely noticed the sound of sirens, but it was too difficult to cling to his senses. 

That was the last thing he had seen in his dreams, his hand was resting on his head as he gripped it.

A chuckle then escaped his lips, it seemed as if his luck was impeccable. 

To be reborn into the world of the series he had a role in was something he did not expect. 

He didn't know if he should laugh or cry when he realized that he had been reborn as the villain. 

The Vil Schoenheit of this world was the vain second prince who was admired because of his ethereal beauty and feared because of his sharp tongue that was accompanied by a violent temper. People sucked up to him, and he was naive enough to believe their whispers of how he would be so much more suited to be on the throne than his brother, Louis Schoenheit, the crown prince.

In the series, his downfall began because of his selfishness as he forced Rook to stay by his side. While Rook accepted it with a smile while saying that it was an honour to serve the fairest of the kingdom, his eyes were on someone else already.

Rook Hunt, the male lead, was in love with Neige LeBlanche, the beloved youngest son of a barony. 

He was the one who was known as the fairest and kindest of the kingdom, at least among the commoners, with how he always helped the poor and gave them kind and warm smiles. 

The duke first fell in love with Neige when they were children, the black haired man was the one who let Rook stay at his home when the other found him injured in a forest. 

When he first read about it, he almost gagged but kept a straight face. 

This was just a cliché story in which they would fall in love while he, the villain, would harass the poor hero because of how he couldn’t accept that Rook fell in love with someone else. From harsh words to straight assassinations attempts, he would do anything to get rid of Neige, so Rook would only look at him. 

In the end, his brother and the duke would be the ones who condemn him for all the crimes he committed against poor, poor Neige, abusing his power unfairly. 

He would then be thrown into a cold cell, starving to death because of how he would be forgotten by the guards…

… as if he would let that happen!

No, Vil had no intention to follow the path of the Vil of the script. This was definitely the same world with how he had lived so far. 

The grip he had on his blanket tightened, the look in his eyes was a determined one.    
Hah, there was no way that he would go down the same path. 

It still wasn’t too late to change. Rook may be in his service already, but he didn’t start the harassment yet, at least not the really bad things. 

Sure, he had been harsh to him verbally, but except for that, he had been relatively tame. 

Vil would give up on Rook. He could feel a twinge in his heart, he remembered how he had been in love with the shorter man without ever confessing to him. He wanted to after the VDC if victory had been theirs, but it wasn’t, which was why he refrained from doing so, especially after the reveal that his… no, the hunter, was a fan of Neige. 

It wasn’t that he felt betrayed. More than that, he believed that he wasn’t good enough for the other. 

Vil wasn’t as adorable and cute, wasn’t as warm and soft as the boy with ebony locks and chocolate coloured eyes that seemed to melt the heart of even the coldest person. 

For a second, he wondered if he would be able to give up the other man. Obviously, Rook was already in love with someone, and he wasn’t the kind of person who would take that kind of happiness away from another person, despite how cruel he can be sometimes when it came to work. 

The blond shook his head, of course he had to give up. Even if he was in love with Rook, this duke… he wasn’t his to take.

Staying alive should be his first priority. Getting between them would only be a hassle, and there were better things he could do with his life and the position he had. 

This time, he would live his life to the fullest and prove that he was more than just a pretty face. Those two can have their happy love life, Vil didn’t care anymore at this point, or at least that was what he tried to tell himself. 

Vil slowly got up from his bed, walking over to the mirror. A loose strand of hair was tucked behind his ear as he smiled to himself. 

He would escape the cage of the role as the villain that was imposed on him. Get people he trusted, gain a hold on the aristocats and maybe even fall in love with someone else. 

Surely there was someone who was worth keeping, Rook wasn’t the only pretty fish in the sea. 

With that new goal in mind, he called for a maid, so they could draw a bath for him. It wouldn’t do him any good if he met those nobles while he was still sweaty after all, would it now?


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I hope you guys will enjoy the chapter. Maybe you have noticed, but I am not a native english speaker. If someone wants to volunteer to be my beta reader for this fic, or any of my fics in general, can contact me on Twitter under the @ PawiNyan or on Discord under Pawi#6861

Only the sound of silent clicks of his shoes filled the corridors as he passed the servants that stood aside when they noticed that he was the one going through, their eyes fixed to the ground. 

Something that he wasn’t surprised by at this point, he had been rather cruel when in a bad mood, venting his anger on those who were unfortunate enough to look in his direction during the wrong time. That was why he didn’t pay them any mind as he made his way to the ballroom, the skirt of his white dress was swaying slightly with each step.

He had been someone who wore dresses and pants, never really caring about what other nobles would say. 

Not that they would dare to directly tell him that he wasn’t supposed to wear a dress because of how he was a man. After all, he was royalty, and they wouldn’t risk offending someone of his status, even if he was ‘just’ the second prince. 

When he stood in front of the room, the door was pushed open for him. The hall was excessively decorated, the lights of the chandelier were reflected on the golden surface of some of the furniture and other decorations. He could already feel the gazes that were on him, looking at him as if he was some kind of prey.

Ah, how couldn’t they be. This whole thing was going on because of him in the first place, it was his birthday. 

Several people approached him with fake smiles and honeyed words, congratulating him and complimenting his appearance. Vil simply smiled back politely, his words were just as sugary as he thanked them for the empty and rather pointless praise. 

Well, it wasn’t a lie that he was beautiful. His blond hair has been braided before they were twisted to form a rather flat bun. The sleeves of his dresses were fluffy, the skirt was decorated with embroidered flowers. 

His skin was soft because of the bath he took. Still, his appearance wasn’t to his complete satisfaction. He was only able to use the products that he bought. 

They might be some of the most expensive ones that the kingdom had to offer, but now that he had his memories back, he would rather make his own beauty products again. 

He would also cook for himself in the future. The cook might be skilled, but in the end, he only trusted himself when it came to deciding what would be the best for him. 

But now wasn’t the time to make further plans for trivial things. 

Not much time passed with idle chatter of some of the nobles before they pushed their sons and daughters towards them, it wasn’t a secret that he didn’t care much about gender when it came to love. 

It was also a well known fact that he was in love with Duke Hunt, but it didn’t deter them in the least, eager to have them marry into the royal family.

When they started to promote their children to him as if they were products, he simply kept on smiling. 

Inside, he was scoffing at them. They were lucky that he got his memories back, or he would have already called some guards to throw them out for annoying him. 

Now though, he would let them talk. If he wanted to have a hold on some of the noble families, he would need a good relationship with them, or at least a decent one.

The Hunt family may be the most influential of the noble families, their power only second to the royal family, but with enough nobles on his side to support him, there was no way that Rook could do anything against him in the future. 

Of course he didn’t intend on hurting Neige, not anymore, but it was better to be safe than sorry. 

This Rook wasn’t _his_ Rook, so he couldn’t be sure how different they were from each other. So far, they seemed to be very similar to each other, but he didn’t trust his instincts, his desire for him to be the same. 

His eyes started to wander slightly, he was already bored of the marquis who was talking to him at the moment while the daughter was staring at him dazedly. 

He gave her a smile as a curtsy, and he could already see how her cheeks started to turn red.

When her father stopped talking for a second, he finally had the chance to escape from this situation.

“It was really pleasant talking to you, but there are other guests I have to entertain though. Perhaps I will invite your lovely daughter to a cup of tea in the future though.”    
  
With that, he gently grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it tenderly while his smile was plastered on his face. 

The older man seemed to be pleasantly surprised, for he simply nodded and thanked him for the honour of talking to him before scattering away, pulling the girl with him, who was standing there without moving. 

Vil would have loved to roll his eyes, but he didn’t give in to his instincts because of the people around him. 

He could already hear the curious whispers because of how his behaviour was so different from the rumours.

Instead of walking over to those people and asking them what they were talking about, he gave the musician the order to start playing some songs. From the corners of his eyes, he could already see a blonde man approaching him.

Louis Schoenheit, his older brother, was approaching him with a smile, a genuine one. He was a picture perfect example of a handsome prince with his short, blonde hair, well-built figure, pale skin and his azure eyes. One would believe that he was someone who was taken out from a fairy tale. 

That brother of his was quite desired, but he had a fiancée already. 

A pretty little princess with the name Margaretha from a neighbouring country, whose ebony hair and snow white skin reminded him so much of Neige. He opened his mouth to ask where she was right now but didn’t have to ask when he noticed her standing next to Neige. They almost looked like siblings as they were talking to each other with bright smiles and soft gestures. 

“Do you like how I prepared this for you? I even invited Duke Hunt for you.”

Right, his brother was loyal to a fault, wasn’t he? He hazily remembered that he tried to help him get together with Rook not only because of his brotherly love for his brother, but also because he hoped that it would make things easier for him with Neige when he noticed that those two got closer to each other. In the original plot, the crown prince was in love with Neige as well after all.

“Thank you, brother, but that kind of help won’t be necessary in the future. I already lost my interest in Duke Hunt.”

Vil was talking loud enough for those who were close enough to hear him, which led to another round of surprised gasps.

His brother didn’t even try to hide his surprise as his eyes widened slightly before he looked at him sceptically.

“Are you sure, Vil?”

The younger brother nodded as he gave the older one a smile, one that was gentler than the ones he gave those other nobles.

“I am sure about it. There is no need for me to love a man who is already in love with another, is there?”

His heart hurt, but he didn’t let the pain show on his face. 

In this world, he fell in love with Rook when they met as children. The younger prince had been charmed by his sweet words and the honest compliment when it came to his appearance. 

He could still clearly remember the words the other spoke to him with a cheerful twist of his lips and a bright glint in his eyes.

_ “Please don’t cry, mister angel. Such a pretty face like yours shouldn’t be stained by tears.” _

Back then, he got lost in the maze of the palace and cried because of how he had been afraid. Rook was the one who found him and said that to him, even though he didn’t know that he was a prince back then. This honesty… that was what made him fall in love. 

In the sea of fake smiles and words that had hidden poison, this was something that made him fall instantly, and his obsession didn’t fade since then. 

It was time to let go of such a silly notion. Did Rook even remember that moment when they were children?   
As a child, he had very long hair that went to his hips, which he cut after he hadn't met him face to face for ten years. 

Now that he thought about it, he really had no right to cling to him like this.

That was why he probably should look for someone of his own already, someone who was not unattainable for him. 

Someone who was pleasant to be around and who would be a good political match. Maybe a prince or princess of another country.

Now that he thought about it, there was a prince of a neighbouring country who was close to his own age. 

Leona Kingscholar, the second oldest son of the Beast Kingdom. He almost laughed out loud at that coincidence. Right, Rook and Neige weren’t the only people who he knew from his old life. 

Leona was also someone who had another version of him here. Vil had only met him a few times for a few fleeting seconds, but even here he was someone whose appearance wasn’t that bad.

He was powerful in his own right and also had no fiancée, which would be perfect. It was also convenient that he was present during the ball. Not a lot of people have noticed him though because of how he had been hidden in the shadows of one of the pillars.

Right now, he would be his best option. There were also other possibilities, but none of them were in this country at the moment. Vil would think about them after this whole thing was over though. 

With that, he apologized to his brother for having to leave before he approached the dark skinned man whose arms were crossed.

_ It was time to enter the lion’s den. _


	3. Chapter 1: Neige's Perspective

Neige was wearing a white suit, his hair had been combed carefully while his face was free of any make up. He was fiddling with the hem of his jacket, scared that he looked out of place, that he wouldn’t be welcomed by anyone. 

Rook, his childhood friend, told him that it would be alright, that there was no way that someone could hate someone as adorable as him, and it helped him calm down a bit. 

It didn’t take his fear completely though. The reason for that was because of how he had been invited to Vil Schoenheit’s birthday party. The Vil Schoenheit, the most beautiful man of the kingdom, maybe even the world, and he had the chance to meet him once again. Every time he saw him, he couldn’t stop his heart from beating while looking away. 

Vil was someone who he greatly admired, even when he had been harsh to him, his words clearly intended to hurt. 

Not that he could blame him. It was surely because of how he was of lower birth, because he didn’t know how to correctly behave in high society. No matter how mean he was though, he truly believed that the blond prince had good intentions, despite what other people told him. No, if one were to ask him, he would tell him that the prince only acted like that because he wanted to teach him without losing his face. 

To others, it might look like bullying, but to him, it was simply a clumsy way to help him progress as a person. For that, he was very thankful to him. When he told Rook that, he got a smile from him and a kiss on his forehead.

“You truly are forgiving, Snow White.”

The moment Rook called him by that nickname, he pouted a bit. It seemed as if he didn’t believe him, no matter how often he told him that he really wasn’t offended or hurt by how he was treated. Also…

“Snow White is the title of princess Margaretha.”   
  


Princess Margaretha was beloved by the people of the kingdom because of her beauty and her kindness. Rumors said that everyone who saw her couldn’t help but say that she was the fairest of them all. There was no one who didn’t know of her hair as black as ebony, her skin as white as freshly fallen snow and her lips as red as blood. 

Rook liked to compare him to her, but in his opinion, he wasn’t worthy of that kind of praise. She looked like a princess who was taken out of a fairy tale while he was simply a child of a baron, nothing more and nothing less. 

“Still, it doesn’t mean that you are not deserving of it as well.”

Rook was probably talking about the townspeople who whispered about how he looked so much like her. They wondered if he maybe could be her lost brother or a relative that no one knew about.    
These words were just baseless rumors though. He never met her before, but he was sure that he couldn’t even compare.

A small part of him couldn’t also help but think that her beauty couldn’t compare to Vil’s. 

His train of thoughts had been disturbed when Rook opened the door for him. Neige took a deep breath and stood tall. After the last time he met Vil, he would try his best to not disappoint him. 

No, he wouldn’t want to embarrass the blond after having been so gracious as to invite him. 

With that, he stepped inside, his shoulders were straight as he stood tall, a smile was on his lips. Behind him was Rook, who wrapped an arm around his waist. He couldn’t help but relax a little when he felt his warmth, the other’s presence helped him relax.

For a second, he could feel the piercing eyes of the other nobles before some of them turned away again. It was as if they deemed him as unworthy of their attention. 

Some of them smiled though and approached him and Rook. A few of them came from a similar background as him, others were from much higher standing and came from famous duke or count families. 

Those were the ones who had a pleasant opinion of him and helped him out a lot. 

He was thankful for them, but he couldn’t help but frown sometimes when they were talking. 

Their opinion of Vil wasn’t that good as they talked about rumors that were surrounding them or how the taller man treated him. 

Each time he would tell him that it wasn’t that he didn’t mind, and each time he would receive pitying smiles. 

In his opinion, it was sad how the other’s goodwill was so easily misunderstood by others. No one even tried to look at what was behind the face, only seeing a prince who seemed untouchable and proud.

To him though, he was someone who he greatly _admired_. 

He looked around a bit in hopes to find the person of honour today and was disappointed when he couldn’t see him. Neige was about to turn to Rook and ask him if he had perhaps seen him but his attention was grabbed by someone else. 

It was a woman who had gently grabbed his hand. When he took a closer look, he immediately recognized her as princess Margaretha. No one else in the whole room had black hair and pale skin like her. Her brown eyes looked at him warmly, a smile was on her lips as she took his other hand as well.    
  


“You must be Neige from the LeBlanche family, right? I have heard so much about you? Would you give me the honour and talk a bit with me? My fiancé isn’t here yet, and you seem like a nice person.”

He would have loved to tell her that he didn’t have the time because he was looking for Vil, but he couldn’t afford to accidentally offend her, so he agreed. Her smile widened a bit at his agreement before he pulled him along to a spot that was less crowded. 

Neige was pretty sure that the only reason why they weren’t approached was because of how Rook was looking at them, and because of how they didn’t want to get the ire of the royal family. Something that he was really thankful for. 

“It seems as if the rumors are true, you really look similar to me.”

Her voice was sweet as she looked him in the eyes, her soft hands slowly let go of his. 

The black haired man was surprised as well. So far, he never had the chance to meet the princess despite the fact that Rook took him to the palace sometimes, so it was easy to say that it was probably just some exaggeration. Now that he saw her with her own eyes though, he could n’t deny it. Still, it would be too much if he compared himself to her. 

That was why he denied it with a smile of his own. 

When he gave her that answer, she giggled but didn’t insist on her claim, something that he was thankful for. 

“You really are as humble as they say. Please, would you be a dear and talk with me a bit more? I fear that my future husband will be terribly busy.”

He couldn’t deny her request, which was why he nodded and indulged her by talking with her about all kinds of things. 

His focus started to wander though when Vil was in his line of view. 

Neige was already smiling, but now he was outright beaming. Seeing the taller man was something he was already looking forward to the whole week! 

The white dress that he wore clung to his body, the slightly puffy sleeves made his shoulders look slender. His collarbone was plain to see, and his skin was almost glowing under the light of the chandeliers. Purple eyes reminded him of fresh lavender, and he almost thought that the scent of these flowers filled the room. Thin pair of lips were coloured in a lovely shade of pink while his cheeks had a rosy colour. 

Neige let out a silent gasp when he saw the other like that and almost walked over to the prince without thinking but he didn’t forget that he was still entertaining the princess. 

That was why he stayed by her side, but it didn’t stop him from glancing at Vil, who was talking to the crown prince.

When the younger prince suddenly walked away in a hurry, he couldn’t help but follow him with his eyes, wondering where he was going. He frowned when he realized who he was approaching. 

Tanned skin, dark, long hair, a look of boredom that seemed to be etched on his face… it was none other than the second prince of the neighbouring kingdom. 

Why would Vil approach him? Didn’t he dislike people who had no ambitions? No passion?

This made no sense.

Neige would have to ask him later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Margaretha is a reference to one of the possible origins for the original fairy tale of Snow White.   
> You might have guessed it already last chapter but yes, Margaretha is Snow White as well.


	4. Chapter 2

Vil grabbed two glasses of wine from one of the tables as he approached the dark skinned prince whose facial expression told him that he would rather be somewhere else than at a place like this. 

Knowing him, preferably his own bedroom. 

A smile was on his lips as he thought about that. Of course he couldn’t be sure about that, considering the fact that this was the world of a drama, but still. 

His appearance alone led Vil to compare him to his former fellow dorm leader. 

“I hope you don’t mind my company, your highness?”

The blond man held the glass out to him as he talked to him relatively casually. If it were another person, he would have put on more of an act, fluttering his eyelashes a bit while smiling at them a bit coquettishly.

Something like this would only annoy him though, at least if he wasn’t so different from… he really should stop comparing. 

It seemed as if his guess wasn’t so wrong though as his expression became more neutral as he accepted the glass. 

“Shouldn’t you be busy entertaining your other guests?”

His words weren’t those of refusal, so it seemed that his presence was tolerated. Lovely. 

Vil tucked a loose strand of hair behind his ear as he looked at Leona through half lidded eyes, taking a sip from his own glas. A sweet taste lingered on his tongue, and he couldn’t stop himself from licking some of it from his lipstick decorated lips.

He noticed how Leona seemed to focus on him more, his eyes didn’t leave his face. Could it be that he was interested in his looks? If he was, that could make things a bit easier for him. 

“This kind of thing is more of my brother’s responsibility. After all, aren’t I nothing more than a piece of decoration?”

Vil leant a bit closer to the other, his words were more of a whisper. Other people, or to be more specific, other humans wouldn’t have been able to hear him, but the beastman had no problem with the volume. 

The blond noticed the twitch of his ear, as the taller man gave him a lazy grin, his tail was swishing in a relaxed manner. Was it because of his nefarious reputation, even outside of his kingdom? Or was it because of how someone of royalty was so awfully aware of how he practically had no real power in the palace?

Vil may be a prince, but he never cared all that much for politics and the dealings of the inner palace and nobles. All that he cared about was his obsessive love for Rook and his own appearance. 

Something that he would change in the future. Of course he didn’t intend on overthrowing his brother, for he had no interest in ruling over the people like this, but he had at least to make sure that he wouldn’t be looked down on anymore. 

“You seem to know your place well. Now tell me the reason why you really approached me.”

Wanting to go straight to the point. It seemed as if there really weren’t all that many differences between the old Leona and the one who was in front of him, were there?

Vil swirled the red liquid inside his glass, it’s colour was almost as beautiful as the colours of ruby. 

Dancing around the topic was useless at this point. 

“I want to marry you.”

🦁

Green eyes that resembled potent poison widened in surprise at the words. If he were someone lesser, he would have dropped his glass while asking him if he was serious. He was used to keeping his composure though, so the expression of astonishment left his face rather quickly. 

“Don’t you already have someone else in mind?”

The second prince’s love for a certain duke and his attempts to stop other people from approaching the noble was something that was well known, at least amongst those who were of nobility at least. 

Not that it was difficult to find out with how the shorter man chased after the other like a lovesick hound, it was almost sickening to watch at the times he managed to catch a glimpse of him. 

After all, wasn’t it useless to chase after someone who obviously had no interest? 

Vil had no lack of admirers, despite his reputation. It shouldn’t have been too difficult to move on to someone else. 

But that wouldn’t have been his style, would it. 

Even as a child, he was so unbelievably stubborn and proud, always trying his best to show to be better than others.

When he looked at Vil again, he could see a younger version of him, his hair flowing down his back like silk, his big eyes glimmering with pride while keeping his chin high. 

Leona clearly remembered his time with Vil, who dragged him along everywhere while keeping him busy, even though he wanted nothing but to be left alone. 

Not that Vil was one to listen so easily, for wasn’t he the spoiled youngest son?

In a way, he was glad for the company back then. Because of the simple fact that he was born after his older brother, most servants avoided him, not deeming it as necessary to take care of him. 

Vil was the only one who treated him with the same respect as his brother, even though he knew that he was just the second born and could gain nothing from him. 

“It doesn’t matter if you were born first or not. The reason why I put up with you is because you are less annoying than the others around my age. Don’t think I treat you differently, just because you are a prince as well.” 

He could clearly remember the scoff on the child’s face and his crossed arms. 

Some would have been offended perhaps, but to him, these simple words and the honest opinion was almost like his own little salvation. 

Since then, he would always use every excuse he could find to accompany his brother to the kingdom of Pyroxene, but all he never got the chance to meet him alone since then, for he always clung to the blond boy whose ancestors once hailed from his own kingdom. 

Leona has since then planned on becoming someone who would be able to catch Vil’s attention. 

The birthday celebration was a perfect chance to see him once again. Leona had planned on talking to Vil when he was less occupied. Who would have thought that the one who would reach out to him would be the shorter man, like all the years ago?

The conversation they had was rather pleasant, Vil was as blunt as he had been back then. His appearance became so much more beautiful though. 

Nothing was left of the childish cuteness, and his face had become more elegant. 

His eyelashes reminded him of the wings of butterflies while his hair looked like golden threads under the lights of the candles. 

Pale, thin fingers were wrapped around the glass, and he wondered how they would look like if they were intertwined with his own. His eyes narrowed as he could see the tongue peek out slightly from between his purple coloured lips as they licked the excess wine that still clung to them, and he couldn’t help but grab his own glass a bit tighter without accidentally breaking it. 

His eyes wandered slightly when Vil’s attention shifted for a second, and he took the few seconds to appreciate how the white dress clung to his body, complimenting the nice shape of his body. 

Vil wasn’t without reason one of the most people of all of the kingdoms. Most people preferred the gentleness of the crown prince’s fiancee, but to him, there was no one who was more alluring than the second prince, the person who this birthday was dedicated to. 

He still wondered why he wasn’t stuck to Duke Hunt once again like he usually would have been, but who was he to question something that was convenient to him?

  
Leona patiently waited for Vil to answer him. 

“I lost interest in the person a while ago.”

When he heard his words, he couldn’t refrain the grin from appearing on his face.

Finally. It took him long enough. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Watch me go on and on about Vil's beauty -
> 
> You can visit me under @PawiNyan on Twitter if you want to scream with me about Twisted Wonderland!


	5. Chapter 3

Rook was talking to one of the other dukes of the kingdom, his smile was pleasant as they had a negotiation that involved one of the trading routes that belonged to the elderly man in front of him. 

It was something that the other owed him for his help back then, when his father had helped him pay his debt. 

Of course he was not willing to give in that easily, considering how it was one of the most used routes for the merchants to get to their kingdom. 

Excuse over excuse was used, but Rook shot them all down without blinking, already getting bored of what was going on. 

Attending this ball wasn’t something he exactly looked forward to, and he had enough power to simply say that he didn’t have the time to come. Neige was looking forward to this event though, which was why he agreed to accompany him, worried that the second prince would do something unreasonable and hurt his childhood friend.

Vil Schoenheit was a man whose beauty was unrivaled in his eyes, but his tongue was as sharp as the thorns of a rose. 

If he had to be honest, he was wondering why someone like Vil fell in love with him in the first place, considering the fact that they met each other for the first time during the debutante ball when they were sixteen years old. 

He remembered clearly how the other declared him as his, and how he had been forced to accompany him to all sorts of tea parties and balls since then. 

Rook didn’t mind it too much at first, thinking that it was only a fleeting interest in him that would pass by quickly enough. 

When the taller man became more and more possessive though, he started to distance himself a bit. 

The distaste for his behaviour only grew when he started to harass Neige with all kinds of petty actions.

It always hurt him to see Vil hurt his friend, but it always hurt him to see the pain in the beautiful, lavender eyes of his. 

Maybe it was because of how bewitching his beauty was, so he decided to avoid Vil as much as possible all together, hoping that it would help him clear his mind. 

His heart belonged to Neige, his gentleness and warmth being the thing that helped him relax more than anything after a day of paperwork and managing the residence. 

At one point of the conversation, his mind started to drift when he noticed that the old man started to ramble. 

Thinking that he should let him talk for a bit before telling him that he didn’t mind using force to get what he wanted, he began listening in on the conversations of the people around him. 

Most talks consisted of gossip, which was nothing new to him.

A marquis who slept with a maid and sired a bastard child. 

Nothing new.

The daughter of a baron who apparently frequented the darker parts of the capital. 

None of his business. 

_ “I want to marry you.” _

His eyes widened slightly and he turned his head to the direction where the voice came from, knowing all too well to which person it belonged to after having spent so much time with him. 

There was Vil in all his glory, the white dress enhancing the untouchable image he had before. Once again he had to admit to himself of how beautiful he was, but that wasn’t the point. What surprised him was the presence of Leona Kingscholar. 

As far as he knew, he had no real interest in politics and only rarely attended social events like these, especially when so many people were bound to come. 

_ So why was he here? _

And what was Vil thinking, _proposing_ to someone _just like that?_

Having lost his patience, he simply interrupted the man who didn’t stop talking to him and simply told him that he should just give up his useless defiance before he would bring this matter to court before walking away from him. Rook walked over to a corner of the hall, grabbing a glass of wine before he started to listen in on this conversation. Despite the rather big distance, he was still able to hear every word that was spoken between the two taller men clearly, for his hearing has been honed after all these years of hunting all sorts of prey. 

_ “I lost interest in the person a while ago.” _

Something stung in his chest, but he couldn’t exactly tell what it was. He should be happy, shouldn’t he?    
That meant that Vil would probably stop harassing Neige, that he could court the black haired man in peace. 

No, he couldn’t feel happy about it. 

Even though he hated how unfair Vil was to Neige, how spiteful his words were… _he did enjoy the other’s company_.

The thoughtfulness towards him, the strictness when it came to himself and his determination, not only when it came to his person, those were all things that made his heart beat at times, making him feel almost the same thing that he did for Neige. 

Rook wasn’t someone unloyal though, which was why he ignored the prince’s advances. 

Yes. This was a _good_ thing. That way, he could dedicate himself completely to Neige. 

He placed a hand on his chest, trying to ignore the feeling before walking over to his dark haired friend, who was talking to the crown princess of this country. 

A beautiful sight on it’s own, something that a lot of people seemed to agree with, considering how they were looking at Neige and Margaretha. 

Rook greeted the crown princess with a bow before placing his arm around Neige’s hips, pulling him closer to him in an affectionate manner.    
The baron’s son didn’t fight against it, for he was used to the blond’s way to show his affection as a friend.

Margaretha seemed a bit surprised by the blatant display of fondness but her smile didn’t fade.

“I am sorry, I barely noticed how much time has passed already with how pleasant that conversation has been. Excuse me, but I have other guests to attend to as well. Please, enjoy the rest of the ball.”   
  
And with that, she passed them and joined a group of young noble girls, only leaving a pleasant scent of sweet apples behind. 

“There you are, Rook. Are you done with the business you had with Duke Kampell? If so, let us go to Vil to congratulate him.”

He could hear the eagerness in his voice and see the excitement in his eyes. It was beautiful, and he would have loved to simply pull him into his arms, but that wasn’t the right time. 

“I don’t think this is the right time for it right now. Vil is having a rather private conversation right now, you should wait for prince Kingscholar to leave before approaching him.”   
  
Rook would have loved to approach the beastman himself, for he was more than interested in a beast like him, but right now was not the right moment. 

No, he didn’t want to risk seeing Neige get hurt in case Vil was only bluffing and hadn’t really gotten over him. 

Neige frowned slightly before nodding his head, which made the passionate hunter feel a bit of relief. 

He would have to confirm it himself if Vil really lost his feeling or not.

❓

A bulky figure was standing next to the buffet table, his eyes were fixed on the second prince as he talked to prince Kingscholar. 

His arms were crossed, but he was ready to react anytime in case something were to happen that could hurt the man he swore to protect with his life. 

After having failed the first time to fulfill his promise, he would make sure that the blond would gain his happiness in this life while staying alive. 

_ This wasn’t the first time he has lived this life.  _

The man regained his memories of this life during his tenth birthday. At first, he believed that this was nothing but a bad dream. When everything that he dreamt of turned into reality though, he finally realized that it was more than just a _dream_.    
  


Since then, he trained hard to be able to stay by the older man’s side once again. 

He clearly remembered how he became the second’s prince’s personal knight in his last life. 

  
Back then, he was nothing more but a knight in training who was less respected than the others who started at the same time as him because he wasn’t a noble but a commoner who just happened to perform well enough in their eyes. 

What they said about him didn’t matter to him though as he simply continued to do his best. 

One day, Vil stepped on the training ground and the captain told them to stand in line. Most of the knights were excited, for their leader told them beforehand that the prince would come to pick a personal knight. 

He didn’t really have much hope when it came to being chosen. 

To his surprise though, the blond walked up to him without giving the other knights a single glance and pointed at him, his face was straight and his chin held high. 

“I choose him. Unlike the rest of you, he is at least working on becoming stronger.”

His words were so blunt, and he could hear the complaints of the other knights, but the prince didn’t seem to care about them in the least. 

When he asked him how he noticed, Vil didn’t even hesitate to answer.

“Of course I have been watching all of you. I must admit, you were the one who impressed me the most with how dedicated you are.”   
  


Since then, he swore to himself that he would protect the only man who believed in him so much, outside of his family. 

  
  


Seeing him being denounced and dragged away... it was as if his heart had been ripped to pieces. 

Since then, he started to work nonstop to forget that there was nothing he could do to help the one who chose him out of all people. He got older, more exhausted with time until he died at the age of 40. 

And then he woke up in the body of his child self. 

  
When he realized that he could change things, he did his best to be chosen as one of the knights for the royal family. 

_Just like back then, he was chosen by Vil._

Once again, he vowed to dedicate his life to Vil and sealed the promise with a kiss on the back of his hand.

This time, he would do anything to see him smile until the end.


End file.
